Points of Light

Back in the Keep on the Shadowfell

Now what?

31

MAY/14

The party of the New Voyagers, having escaped a demonic domain in the Shadowfell by way of a riftgate portal opened with a dark ritual, found themselves back in the altar room of Orcus, in the dungeons beneath of Shadowfell Keep.
Balthasaar updated his companions about their situation and urgently re-engineered a version of the dark ritual to disempower the riftgate portal.
Afer some further discussion Balth magically contacted a few more companions and notararies, before the group took their leave of the altar room. After exiting upwards, through several chambers still exhibiting reamains of battles faught over 4 years ago, the group came to a set of barricaded doors.
Dusk burst the doors open and the group came face to face with the underground base of a tribe of goblins who had taken up residence under the keep. After much negotiation with the goblins leader (King Zun Zun?), who Medea accused of squatting in the keep which was lawfully and rightfully ours, the group undertook to avoid bloodshed and provide a demonstration of their powers by ridding the keep of a second dangerous denizen, the goblins described as interloping in another part of the dungeon.
Shortly they had been ushered into a locked off section of dungeon, and while advancing in the light of one of the wilderfolke summoned by Balthasaar, they were ambushed by several giant spiders, two with powers to blink short distances, and another extremely large one exhibiting obviuosly demonic heritage, who threatened vile retributions in the infernal tongue.
After a mighty struggle where Dusk performed admirably as a meat-shield, and where the devious might of the warlock Medea and the diabolical intelligence of Balthasaar combined magnificently, the demon spiders were vanquished awash waves of eldritch energy and hideous curses, as well as fey fires and bloodsoaked magics. At the end off the battle Balth’s enchanted wilderfolke had attracted some higher order of mana spirit, seemingly harmless, and who appeared to bond with the Eladrin Mage.
Taking their leave of the Demon Spider lair they retuned to the throne room of the goblin king and staked their claims to the keep once again, offering him terms to pay tribute to us in return for occupying and defending our lands, as well as continuing to abide peacefully in the area by truce and treaty with the folk in Winterhaven.
It was agreed the king and his retinue would accompany us to Winterhaven, such that the local Lord of the nearby vilage would be appraised of the situation and decide the matter on its merits.
After summoning magical steeds, they braved a blizzard-like snowstorm to reach the nearby village, and immediately gathered Lord Padraig and the sage Valthurien to the Town Hall to discuss matters of state. Once Medea had stated our intention and Balth had offered copious amounts of reasoning for their decision, it was left to the two leaders to reach an accomodation.
Taking their leave, the group took up further clandestinee of state with the Sage Valthurien, in his tower. In attendancee were Melora Exarch of the Raven Queen, and Don Bresciano from Bress, as well as the White Lady of Avandra, and the floating visage of a mage known as Alendro (purportedly former owner of the Mage Tower in Bress, now used by Balth for the city’s Museo).
Much was discussed…